For all you fans of Iowan Chevrolet dealerships, we have a treat for you. Reader Ben Hart recently found a vintage badge from his father’s and uncle’s dealership, H&N Chevrolet in Spencer, Iowa, and decided to share a pic of the badge as well as several other pictures from the dealership’s history.

As Ben tells the story, John Hart and Dale Norton started H&N Chevrolet in about 1927. John left the Chevrolet dealership sometime in the late 1930s to form a Ford dealership, Hart Motors, with his younger brother by 19 years, Frank (Ben’s father).

Dale, however, died in a car accident in 1956 or so, which led to an opportunity in 1957 for Frank to buy H&N, which by then had added a Buick franchise. John kept the Ford agency, while Frank went on to run H&N and turn it over to his son, Doug (Ben’s brother), and Tom Howe (Doug and Ben’s cousin).

Unfortunately, Google Maps hasn’t yet visited Spencer, Iowa, so we can’t get a Street View of the dealership as it still stands today, at 713 North Grand Avenue (512 South Grand Avenue), but Ben tell us the building looks much the same and the neon Chevrolet and Buick signs have been restored and still operate.

Wow… And customers of the day thought they were in a very modern show room. I can remember when my dad bought a new 1959 Pontiac Catalina for $1,995.00 in South River, New Jersey both show rooms looked the same .
JoepeP

Great pictures. I have a suspicion my 67 427/390 Corvette was sold new there. Is anyone knowledgeable of the dealer # for H&N Chevrolet? This was Chevrolet Dealer Zone #29, and the Dealer # would have been three digits starting with 3–. The Buick franchise was Zone #13, Dealer #692. Any leads appreciated.

ITS TRUE!!!! Pic #4 showing the show room from the front of the building: If you were to stand in the same spot the pic was taken you would see the same thing today. We all know tho that some things have there slight differences due to time ages all things. As for the neon Chevrolet and Buick signs they look great!! have seen them for 20 years.